The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-11-19
SWITCH ANNIE"
Interesting Sketch of a Remark-
able Character.

Milwaukee has curious figure In
the person Of 4 female "switchman,
Her name is switch Annie" and she
is in the employ Of the Chicago, Mil
waukcc d ST. Paul Company. She has
the honor Of being the only female ex-
pOncnt Of the art Of "thrOwing
switches" in the country.
The work is masculine. but the
worker is feminine from the sole Of her
sensible walking-shoe 10 the top Of her
shapely head, possessed Of the beauty
of IN English dairy maid and the
muscle Of n blacksmith.
The eleven switches which she looks
after are out near the stock-yards. and
include the most important points in
the yards They were formerly in
charge Of the girls father, Joseph
Graulncr For years Annie was his as
sistant, helping him almost from the
time she was large enough To- throw
the switch-lcvcr. Then she was adj
yanccd to regular assistant. The old
man was easily "rattlcd." but Annie
never. Her GOODNESS and dcxtcrity
have saved many a loss 10 the company,
while for herself she was never known
90 make II mistake that involved the
loss of n dollar to the company.
Although Annie has been "thrOwing
switches for over twelve years. her
peculiar history has been hidden under
the bushcl of her isolated station. OF
the thousands of people who used every
year to pass her brown switch shanty,
not one was aware that it hid curious
history.
When applied for information at
| was referred to the yardmastcr, ii. s.
Tcall. | found him in his Office on the
second floor of II dingy and historic
brick pile, "down in the yards" My
request brought smile.
"You want to know about AnnicP'
said the rugged yardmastcr, as he
swung himself around so as To keep
in view the glistcning tracks and NOV
ing panorama of putting engines shift
ing trains that kept weaving the trans
portation threads in the patchwork of
commerce rs we talked.
"Wcll, she's character. You must
go out aud see her She'll talk to you.
Isn't afraid of anybody
How long has she been on the
road?"
Ever since she was n child. Her
father was with the company twenty
years. lie only had one leg. and
was rather slow getting about. He
was all right SO long rs he had only
one or two switches, but when bust
ness increased and more were put in
he had To have assistance. Then Annie
came i'm. She was u Gttlc thing at that
time, but she was spry, and the way
she would get back and forth between
those switches was surprising. After
n while she was put on regularly as an
assistant to her father. When he was
killed last winter she was given his
PLACID and now supports the family.
They live back of the switch shanty in
n house furnished rcnt-frcc 10y the COM
pany.'
How does her work compare with
that of other switchmcnP'
"Shc has the clcancst record of any
man in my employ, and we have two
hundred men in the yard. She never
lost n dollar for the company, and that
is more than | can say of any man in
the yard. She rarely makes mistake.
and when she does it is always through
n signal carelcssly given. There is one
thing about Annie remarkable in a
woman, she don't seem To know what
fear is. At the time of the riots last
year that Polish mob. after cleaning
out the shops. came down through the
yards, cleaning out every one III their
way. Annie was on duty at the time,
and was the only employee who was not
driven from work All the rest ot
the men ran away and then came
back after the mob had passed. But
Annie staid by her switches. When the
mob reached her one big Pole grabbed
her by the arm, saying: Get ont OF
here; 60 home. YOU can't work no
morcr Before the words were out of
his mouth Annie hauled of and gave
him slap that sent him spinning.
Her pluck raised q langh, and she was
not molcstcd further The big fellow
was satisfied To mix up with the crowd
and get out of sight. Without a woM
more Annie then went right through
the crowd To set q switch for n train
that was coming out. The gang passed
on and the girl was left alone. She's
n good one, and no mistake
"How is she regarded among the
yardmenP
"They think the world of Annie.
They would fight for her in a minute,
IL necessary"
"Do not complaints come in occa-
sionally?"
IL never had but one complaint from
Annie in the whole twelve years she
has been throwing switches. Once
she was given signal imperfcctly.
and sent car down the wrong track.